Choosing what to study is one of the first major decisions many young people make, and in developing countries, it is often tied directly to survival, stability, and future opportunity.
For many families, tertiary education is an investment expected to change the economic direction of an entire household.
That reality makes the decision even more important.
The first thing to understand is that not all careers carry the same economic value. Some professions are naturally high-reward fields because they require scarce expertise, technical specialisation, or years of training.
Fields such as medicine, engineering, data science, actuarial science, and specialised legal practice continue to attract strong demand globally, because the barrier to entry remains high.
However, salary potential alone should not be the only consideration. The world of work is changing rapidly.
Reports from organisations such as the World Economic Forum have consistently shown that automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping employment markets across the globe. Administrative and repetitive work remains the most vulnerable.
Years ago, accounting was already identified as one of the professions likely to be heavily impacted by technology, and today much of that prediction has materialised through automated bookkeeping systems, AI-assisted financial software, and cloud-based compliance tools.
This does not necessarily mean professions disappear entirely, but rather that the skills within them evolve. The more repetitive a task becomes, the easier it becomes for technology to perform it faster and cheaper.
Therefore, when deciding what to study, the question should not only be whether a field pays well today, but whether the skills within that field are likely to remain valuable in the future. Increasingly, industries reward people who can solve complex problems, think critically, adapt quickly, and work alongside technology rather than compete against it.
Government policy can also offer useful direction. In developing economies, governments regularly identify sectors they believe will drive growth over the next decade. Namibia’s recent focus on oil and gas is a practical example.
Many students and professionals are already pursuing qualifications linked to energy, logistics, environmental management, and related industries in anticipation of future demand.
Still, caution is necessary. Political priorities can shift quickly, and economic expectations do not always materialise as projected. Entire industries may receive strong attention under one administration and far less under the next.
One of the smartest approaches is often the simplest, observing countries slightly ahead of us economically. Employment trends in more industrialised African economies or global markets often give a glimpse into where local demand is eventually headed.
Ultimately, deciding what to study should be a balanced decision that considers your strengths, future employability, technological change, and the economic realities of the world you are preparing to enter.
– Johannes Shangadi is a Namibian legal professional and managing consultant at Strategic Corporate Advisory Namibia.
